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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

So with the exception of a few anniversary posts, there really hasn't been much wedding talk around these parts.

It's a shame really.

I have watched many a blogger plan entire weddings and relived every moment of their big day from the centerpieces to the bridesmaid dresses.

Well now it's my turn to share with you the biggest New Year's Eve party where we said 'I do'!

Don't worry, I'm not going to take a year to recap it.

Instead I'm going to take a page from a few other bloggers and relive it from A to Z﻿!

Attending

Right around 115. Maybe 125? Is it sad that 2 1/2 years later I don't even remember the number that was burned into my brain for so many months??

Bridesmaids

I had two Maids of Honor, my two best friends, and two bridesmaids, my best friend since 3rd grade (and future mother-in-law to my son, haha) and my sister-in-law. I was so glad to have 4 of the most important women in my life standing by my side!

Cake

Our cake lady was maybe the sweetest woman ever. Seriously, if you're getting married in Columbus look up Anita Klein! She worked with me and my 19433908233 changes, including an entirely new design just weeks before the wedding. My original thought was to do one of those Madhatter style, topsy turvy cakes, but at the last minute I changed my mind. I wanted something more simple. Classic. Something that embraced our New Year's Eve Wedding. So when I saw a picture of a cake that looked like it had champagne bubbles cascading down the side I had to have it. Anita took the idea and made it a reality. I LOVED it. And not only did it look good, it tasted amazing.

Dress

After spending an entire day with my mom, MIL and 2 MOH's dress shopping I thought I had found "the one." It was NOTHING like I had pictured. A bit form fitting. Lace that flowed into a tulle skirt. Champagne colored with a chocolate brown sash. It was gorgeous and I looked damn good in it. The next day my mom, dad and I went to take one more look at it. While putting it on, someone let my dad loose in the bridal salon and he came back with a dress. It wasn't one I had tried on. It was completely different than the one I'd fallen in love with the day before. It was stunning. I tried it on and immediately knew this was the dress I'd be getting married in. It was perfect. Long train. Sweetheart neckline. The most fabulous silk taffeta I'd ever felt. Just enough beading and bling, but not so much it was over the top. It was me.

Engagement

Just 10 months after our first date my husband got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. The center stone in my ring is the same stone my dad proposed to my mom with that came from my Great Grandfather's Jewelry Store. So it's pretty special.

I won't bore you with all the details. You can check out the whole store here if you'd like.

Flowers

My bouquet was all red. A mixture of roses and calla lilies. The hubs, a red rose boutonniere. The bridesmaids carried red and white roses, the groomsmen had red and white bouts to match.

For centerpieces we had no flowers. Instead we did tall vases filled with cranberries to hold branches that were dripping with crystals and candles. I loved how simple and elegant they were. Plus the height in the ballroom was fantastic!

Groomsmen

The hubs had four guys on his side. His cousin, two friends and my brother.

Honeymoon

We took a quick mini-moon right after the wedding down at a cabin in Hocking Hills. It was the perfect little getaway. Then in March we took an 8 day cruise through Panama, Costa Rica and Belize. It was amazing! If you're ever bored, scroll through the March 2009 blog archives for some pretty funny recaps of our Caribbean adventure!

Invitations

I worked with a local shop to design all our paper needs. Invites. Programs. Menus. They turned out better than I could have imagined. I remember stopping by her shop to pick up the proof and actually tearing up at the sight of them. Unfortunately I don't have a good photo of them. So this will have to do.

Justice of the Peace

We got married by Fr. Jerry at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Columbus. He was a funny guy who openly told us that he didn't have much to do, so he met with all his couples probably more than any priest in the archdiocese. He was not kidding. Most other Catholics I know met like one time, took the compatibility test and then didn't see them again until they were walking down the aisle. Not us. We faithfully met with him every Saturday morning for months. Thankfully he was entertaining. Sort of.

Keepsakes

We have our wedding album of course. And for our guestbook I made a book of pictures of us on MyPublisher that our guests signed like a yearbook instead of the boring old traditional kind that you'll never look at again. It turned out great and sits proudly on our coffee table.

Ladies Night

I actually had TWO. A surprise girls weekend in Chicago with my mom, MIL and bridesmaids and then your typical night of Bachelorette debauchery in town with all my favorite ladies. Both were an absolute blast!!

2. What color are your fingernails painted?
Nothing. I'm usually pretty bare on my fingers because I have bad habit of picking polish and biting my nails. Plus since I wear gloves at work pretty much all day and wash my hands constantly, a good mani doesn't last long.

3. What is your favorite brand of nail polish?
I usually go with OPI. They always seems to have good colors and the names are fun.

4. As the norm, do you DIY your nails or get mani/pedis?
I usually treat myself to a pedi every so often, otherwise it's DIY all the way!

5. Have you ever had a gel mani? Do you recommend it?
Nope. Once in highschool I got acrylics put on. I never realized how fabulous my nails are naturally until I did this. It practically killed them and took for-ev-er to get back in good shape. I vowed to never do anything to them again!

6. What is the last movie you watched on television? (TV, Netflix, Redbox, etc.)
"Just go with it" with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. The hubs and I both LOVED it!

7. What is the last movie you watched in the cinema?
This is sad, but I'm almost positive the last movie we saw IN the theatres was "The Social Network." My mom was in town and babysat Jamie, so that tells you how long it's been.

8. Is there a movie that everyone talks about as if it is a classic but you haven’t seen?
It's a Wonderful Life. I think that one actually is a classic though.

9. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
I used to be OBSESSED with movie soundtracks in highschool. Like seriously obsessed. An all time favorite though would have to be Empire Records, Clueless or Romeo and Juliet. As for musicals. Rent. Hands down, no question. I can sing every word. I've seen it many times and seriously contemplated going to NYC for one of the final shows, but it didn't work out.

10. Have you ever seen a movie and thought it was better than the book it was based on?
Yes. Confessions of a Shopaholic. I thought the books were HORRIBLE. I read maybe two trying to figure out the hype and just didn't like them. The movie was cute. Not Oscar worthy by any means, but it didn't make me want to gouge my own eyes out like the books did. Oh. And Sex and the City. Technically it was on TV before it was a movie, but it's close. Ever read the books the show was based off? They suck.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

It's hot here. Not like, dog days of summer hot. Like depths of hell, don't even step outside, hot.

I've decided we need to move. To a place that still has seasons because I can't give up fall. Snow, but only in December, cause it wouldn't feel like Christmas otherwise. And little to no humidity with a beautiful 80-85 during the summer. I'll let you all know when I find this mystical place.

I've been driving the hubs car for the past two days while mine is in the shop getting new brakes. Don't get me wrong. I love his car. It's very comfy and deluxe. But it's not MY car. It drives differently. It's wider and has this weird blind spot so every time I change lanes I'm convinced I'm going to run someone off the road. I'll be glad to be back in ole whitey tomorrow!

I'm eating Jimmy Johns for lunch. Yum. It always makes me think of college. On the walk from my sorority house to the dental school I passed by two. TWO. And one summer I lived across the street from a third. Apparently Ohio Staters really liked the JJ's. Needless to say, I ate my fair share of Turkey Tom's back in the day.

Right now I am loving The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" and that new one by Maroon 5. Like volume blasting, car dancing, belting out the words kinda love. I think I've finally found my Summer 2011 anthems.

Katy Perry's TGIF song however, no thanks. I could die happy if I never had to hear that one again. Sorry KP, usually I like your stuff, this one fell short.

It's no secret I watch shitty TV. Currently I'm hooked on a cheesy ABC Family show called Switched at Birth. It takes place in KC and I get geekily excited every time they show a screen shot of my city. It's pretty obvious they don't actually film it here, but whatever, it's the thought that counts.

We ordered one of those little anywhere chairs from Pottery Barn Kids for Jamie's Birthday. It showed up the other day and I wouldn't even allow myself to open the box because I knew I'd just let him have it early. What can I say. I have zero self control when it comes to gift giving.

I'm finally breaking down and getting Jamie's hair cut. I can't decide if I'm going to go all out with a short, big boy "do" or just have it trimmed up so it's not in his eyes, but still has the baby curls in the back. Decisions, decisions.

We're going to the lake this weekend for the first time since Memorial Day! Friday can't get here fast enough!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Our generation is so obsessed with social media, that sometimes we forget to actually be social. Like in the real world, leave your house, turn off your computer/phone/ipad social.

Between blogging. Facebook. Twitter. Google+ (what is that anyways). MySpace (I heard Justin Timberlake just bought them out).﻿ Texting. Does anyone have real conversations anymore. With their actual real friends? I know I'm guilty of knowing more about what's going with my online "friends" than my actual friends sometimes. And that's kinda sad.
My husband doesn't get it. He may be the last 20-something alive who doesn't even have a FB page.
I used to think he was crazy. Now I'm wondering if he's got the right idea.
Recently I've noticed more bloggers bidding a fond farewell.
One of them being my good (IRL) friend. And while I'm sad to see her leave the blogosphere, she makes a good point that she doesn't want her child growing up on the internet.
Kinda makes me think.

I'm certainly not going to quit it all cold turkey. I enjoy it. It kills time at work. It's my hobby. I like to live in ignorant bliss that creepers don't read my lil ole blog or steal pictures of my son.
But it may make me stop living my life on the computer as much and actually start living it in the real world.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

It's not very often I read a book that actually impacts my life. Heck, let's be honest, lately it's not often I even read a book. Last week while crusing the Target library I saw one that caught my eye. On the cover was a little boy and the title read "Heaven is for Real: A little boy's astounding story of his trip to heaven and back." I picked it up and read the back. I was immediately hooked.

***Warning: Spoiler Alert***

I finished the story in a few nights, which for me is pretty impressive. I couldn't put it down. The things this four year old described were amazing. Things a four year old wouldn't know, but amazingly paralled the Bible to a tee. He talks about meeting people, family members who died before he was born. He speaks of a sister whom he never met. A sister who in fact was never born due to his mother's miscarriage that he knew nothing about. He talks about the colors so vivid and bright they don't even exist here on earth. He talks about things that he saw happen on Earth during his journey to heaven. Things that no one ever told him about.

I'm not a super religious person. I don't pray as often as I should. I don't go to church as regularly as I'd like. But I am a faithful person. I believe in God. But even I have my doubts. People continually tell me my mom is watching over us. That's she always here. But sometimes it's hard for me to believe it. This book gives me hope in a world sometimes filled with doubt. It gives me hope that one day I will see her again. Funny how the innocence of child can help a grown adult see the world a little differently.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

We are on day number FOUR of triple digits here in KC!! So in an effort to try and beat the heat, we decided a pool day with Grandpa was in order!! This was the first time we'd gone to our neighborhood pool....it will definitly not be our last!! Jamie loved the zero entry so he could sit and splash to his little hearts content plus all the fun water fountains were a blast!!

We are so lucky to have such a great pool just a short walk from the house!